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Writs of Assistance
Writs of assistance were court orders that authorized customs officers to conduct general searches of property for contraband. The colonists were infuriated by these so In 1761, James Otis represented Boston merchants in their challenge to the renewal of the writs. He lost in court, but gained public popularity in arguing that the writs violated the people’s natural rights. -
French and Indian War
A war that started in 1754 between the French and English over territories in the new world. The French allied themselves with most of the Indian tribes. The British allied with the Iroquois. Resulted in British win, but the colonists started to resent English control and oppression. The war ended with the Peace of Paris in 1763. -
Proclamation of 1763
The was a proclamation issued by the king of Britain. This proclamation prohibited colonists from moving beyond the Appalachian mountains. This was because the English wanted to avoid another costly war with the natives over land ownership. -
Sugar Act of 1764
This act passed by Parliament was aimed at stopping the colonists from smuggling sugar out of the colonies. This act angered the merchants in the colonies, and continued the resentment against the English. This act was also intolerable because it was strictly enforced, unlike the other acts. -
Stamp Act Congress
This congress was the first meeting of several representatives from different colonies. They came together to write a petition to Britain about the Stamp Act of 1765. This petition was largely ignored, but it helped to unite the colonies even more. -
Quartering Act of 1765
This act forced all colonies to allow British soldiers to be housed in their homes. This angered the colonists, and caused outrage. The colonists were so angered by this act that they barred the housing of soldiers in the 3rd Amendment in the Bill of Rights many years later. -
Declaratory Act 1766
This act was signed into law the same day the the Stamp Act was discontinued. This act asserted dominance over the colonies by restating that England had absolute control over them. However, the colonists largely ignored this act due to their joy of the Stamp Act being repealed. -
Townshend Acts 1767
This act taxed almost all imports into the colonies. Charles Townshend developed these act and he thought that they were fair. However, the colonists did not believe that these taxes were fair. These taxes caused boycotts and anger among the colonists. -
Boston Massacre 1770
A riot in front of the British Treasury on March 5th. After a soldier's gun misfired, a riot broke out leaving 5 colonists dead and 6 wounded. The most notable death was Crispus Attucks, who was a free slave hit by a stray bullet. -
Tea Act 1773
Passed by Britain on May 10, granted the British East India Company Tea a monopoly on tea in the colonies. The Tea Act raised tax prices on bad tea and was the straw that broke the camel's back after a series of unpopular policies and taxes imposed by Britain on the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
“No taxation without Representation” Tired of all the unbearable taxes Britain imposed on the colonies, Colonial leaders struck back. At Griffin’s Wharf, the colonist snuck onto merchant ships, and dumped 342 chest of British East India company into the harbor, costing the company millions. This was the first organized revolt against the British and started to spark the fire of revolution. -
Coercive Acts 1774
Better known as the intolerable acts, The coercive acts of 1774 were a direct result of the Boston Tea Party. Parliament closed the Boston Harbor indefinitely. It would not open until owners of the tea were compensated. Only food and firewood were permitted into the port. Town meetings were banned, and the authority of the royal governor was increased. The picture shows British ships guarding the Boston harbor. -
Quebec Act 1774
The Quebec Act of 1774 added insult to injury after the coercive acts just months prior. It first set up Catholic as the official religion of Quebec. Once more, an appointed council, would make the major decisions for the colony. -
1st Continental Congress
In the beginnings of the American revolution, delegates from all of the colonies, except Georgia, met in Carpenter Hall, Philadelphia, for about 2 months to discuss issues related to the colonies. It forced the colonies to finally merge ideas. The end result was the “Association” which threaten to oppose British resistance if the intolerable acts were not repealed. The picture shows Carpenter Hall. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
“The Shot Heard Around the World”. The battles of Lexington and Concord, first starting on April 19, 1775, was the official start of The American Revolutionary War. The night before, British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm, and colonial militiamen began mobilizing stop them. A confrontation in Lexington started off the fighting, and soon the British retreated under intense fire. -
Olive Branch Petition
In a final attempt to avoid war, Colonial leaders wrote up the Olive Branch petition. Being severely undermined, And with no proper training, Colonial Leaders were afraid to go to war against the world's most powerful empire. So, Thomas Jefferson wrote the document under the entailing that the colonists pledged their loyalty to the crown and asserted their rights as British citizens. -
2nd Continental Congress
After the events of Lexington and Concord, and War kicking into full gear, A second meeting occurred. During this meeting, The founding fathers established The continental Army, with George Washington leading it. These discussion were the first establishments of a full out American government. -
Declaration of Independence
As war continued on, more and more citizen’s became on board with separation and becoming an independent nation. So, in June of 1776, a five men including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin was tasked with drafting a formal statement of the colony’s intentions (freedom). By early July, the draft was finished, and passed by congress of July 4th, 1776.
